


Ease My Mind

by nothingbutnow



Category: The Dark Artifices Series - Cassandra Clare, The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Cookies, F/F, Fluffy, M/M, Moon, Mystery, Pancakes, Scary Stories, Socks, Sweet Dreams, beach, headphones, kissing a bit at the end, watson and holmes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 23:43:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17877023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nothingbutnow/pseuds/nothingbutnow
Summary: Sleepless nights with Ty include a lot of walks on the beach to clear his thoughts and this one is no different. Not that Kit minds, of course.Based off the song ‘Ease My Mind’ by Ben Platt





	Ease My Mind

One of the things that Kit hates most in the world is being woken up from the perfect dream.

He'd been having a pretty good one too: he'd been standing in the cleanest kitchen he'd ever seen, with white countertops and cupboards, and all new shiny stainless steel equipment which he'd been using to make chocolate chip cookies. It was unlike most dreams he's had, especially the more recent ones, where death and destruction seemed to be recurring themes. This one, however, was calm and quiet, with seemingly no worries, except to measure out the flour correctly.

Just as he was pouring a generous amount of chocolate chips into his batter, a noise like a distant hum of energy rings throughout the kitchen, and slowly brings him back to unfortunate consciousness. The smell of fresh batter lingers in his nose as he opens his eyes to see the plain old beige ceiling above him, illuminated by not only the light from the almost-full moon outside the window, but also from the magical glow that is emitted from beside him.

"Sorry, was I bothering you?" the raven-haired boy whispers a bit too loudly, the witchlight slipping slightly out of his long fingers so the heavenly white hue is dangerously close to Kit's face.

"Woah, Ty that's...really bright," Kit winces as his eyes haven't fully adjusted to the light yet, and Ty quickly apologises as he stumbles to regain hold of the magical stone. Kit's mouth still waters from what he can remember of his dream. "What are you doing awake? Its really late."

Ty quickly shuts the book that was situated on his lap and sets it on the nightstand next to him before kit can get a good view of it. He looks down at his witchlight, running his fingers along the rough gray edges. "I just wanted to finish the chapter."

Kit rolls over so he's on his stomach, arms propping up his head. "What were you reading that was so important?" He smirks and reaches an arm across Ty's lap for the book, the tip of his fingers brushing over the blood red title.

"Nothing, its just something Dru's lending me," Ty bites his lip as he watches Kit scan the title and its Table of Contents with worried eyes.

"'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark'," Kit reads the title aloud under his breath, his eyes fixated on the mutilated skull that decorates the cover under the words. "Are you sure this good to read at this hour, these stories look kind of vivid..." his thoughts disperse as he opens up to a random page, his eyes darting over the dark vocabulary and surprisingly lengthy details of dried up blood. Nothing like what Ty usually reads.

Ty's thumb rubs against his witchlight as he watches the blonde with great concentration, like a predator stalking their prey. "Can we go for a walk on the beach?"

Kit looks up at him, eyebrows furrowed. It was a very out-of-the-blue question, but then again, he never knew what to expect with Ty. "Yeah, sure," he sits up and swings his legs over the side of the bed, but not before he could catch Ty's expression soften just slightly.

They slip on their shoes soundlessly and Ty keeps the witchlight on whilst they creep out the front gate and down the hill. As soon as they hit the sand though, Ty unties his shoes and takes his socks off, leaving them neatly by a bush, one sneaker beside the other, socks tucked in their respective shoe. Kit can't help but crack a small smile as he follows suit.

The sand tickles his toes as Kit runs to catch up to Ty, who doesn't bother to wait for him and is already ankle-deep in the soft waves.

"The water isn't too cold?" Kit says with a grunt as his toes hit the edge of a mellow wave. The frigidness of the water catches him off guard slightly; he didn't expect it to be that cold.

Ty looks up from where he was watching the way his witchlight reflects off the water. "Not really," he shrugs and continues to walk along the shoreline, his jeans rolled up just enough that the water barely misses the cloth.

Kit just follows obediently, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He knows that Ty sometimes likes to keep to his own thoughts but also likes to have a bit of company so he doesn't feel alone, and Kit respects that. And he doesn't mind either, as it gives him time to admire the boy from a distance. The steady steps he takes. The way his dark hair reflects the moonlight. His long, lean structure and the runes that just peek out from under his shirt sleeves. Sometimes, Ty will let Kit trace the intricate patterns on his back with his fingers, if they're alone in his room on a lazy Saturday. Those are Kit's favourite days. He knows Ty likes them too, when its just them and no other distractions.

He's so entranced by watching him that Kit almost doesn't even notice when Ty laces their fingers together. His pale skin seems to glow against the dark night sky. "We should turn back now."

Kit looks over his shoulder to find that they've made it a significant amount from the Institute. How long had they been out there? "I wish we didn't have to," he sighs.

He feels Ty's calloused fingers twitch against the back of his hand. "Julian would get mad if we didn't come back."

"Yeah," Kit nods and Ty doesn't let go of their hands as they turn around and head back.

The wind is blowing in their face now, and Kit can't take his eyes off of the way Ty's hair whips around it, darker than the sky above them. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"

"Yeah, a couple of times," Ty stares down at the water, watching the way the water ripples around their ankles. He looks up at Kit's face, seemingly examining it. "You're pretty beautiful too."

Kit squeezes his hand. "Thanks."

They walk in a peaceful silence the rest of the way home, each just enjoying being in the other's company. Ty makes sure to remind Kit about taking his shoes inside, but also warns him not to put them back on. 

"Julian will know we went out if he finds they're wet tomorrow," Ty explains, picking up his own sneakers and shaking off the sand. "He's almost as observant as the real Sherlock Holmes."

Kit's lip curls up when he hears the name that Ty practically worships under, and is conscious about following his orders as they head barefoot inside. 

Ty unlinks their hands to shut the door with a gentle click of the lock, and Kit is about to take his hand and drag him up the stairs again when a quiet, shrill voice fills the room, making them jump.

"And what might you two be doing at 3:30 in the morning?" Helen is leant over the kitchen island, her voice harsh with the remnants of just waking up and her bleach blonde hair falling over her arms, a waterfall of light curls.

Ty freezes like a deer in headlights, too shocked to answer, and his witchlight switches off involuntarily. Fortunately for him, Kit does not seem the least bit phased by any of this. "We just went on a walk on the beach," he says with a burst of nonchalance. "What about you?"

"I heard you walking down the stairs, thought I'd make sure you got back okay," Helen raises a skeptical eyebrow under the light of the almost-full moon, now lower in the sky so it comes in full-blast through the window. "You should go to bed, though. It's pretty late."

"Okay," Kit shrugs, and only when he takes Ty's hand back in his is the taller boy able to follow him up the stairs, still at a loss for words. Helen watches them stumble back to Ty's room with a giggle to herself and a shake off her head.

Once Ty shuts his bedroom door, he turns around and frown, his dark eyebrows knitted together broodingly.

"What's wrong?" Kit asks in a low tone, completely aware of the fact that there are people sleeping in the rooms all around them and could hear them at any moment. Blackthorns can be very light sleepers.

Ty shrugs. "She's going to tell Julian about this," he sits next to Kit on the bed. "Which means we could have worn our shoes inside."

Kit takes his hand and squeezes it, feeling Ty's warmth spread up his arm. "That doesn't matter. It's better to have dry shoes than wet ones. Wet sneakers take forever to dry, anyways."

"Livvy used to yell at me whenever I got my sneakers wet," Ty thinks out loud and his eyes soften at the memory of his sister. "Sometimes I'd do it just to annoy her."

His shoulders sag, which Kit takes as a sign to just hold his hand let Ty relive his memories in peace. It was a time of Ty's life that Kit wasn't a part of, and he doesn't want to invade that. Livvy had been a very important person to him, she was the only person who truly understood him, and Kit knew he was still shaken up about everything that happened, even if it was over a year ago. She was his twin, and you can't get closer to someone than that.

They sit in silence for a few more minutes, the only sound coming from the winds whistling outside the window and Ty's steady breathing, like the second hand on a clock ticking away. Soon enough, though, Kit feels Ty's hand tighten around his own as he comes back to reality.

"We should probably go to sleep," Ty whispers, eyes fixated on the wall across from where they sit.

Kit nods. "Good idea." 

At the sound of his agreement, Ty unlinks their hands to sink under the covers and waits for Kit to join him before pulling them up to his chin. 

"Thank you," Ty curls into the other boy's chest, and his eyes flutter shut. 

Kit admires the calm expression of the boy laying next to him before pressing his lips to his pale forehead. It's not every day that he gets to see him in peace. "Good night, Ty."

* * *

Kit wakes up before Ty does the next morning, which is unlike him as Ty is more of the early bird, but he doesn't mind. He glances down at the other boy as he stretches his arms out, still sound asleep. His jet black hair a stark contrast from the off-white pillow. 

He looks so peaceful, with his eyes gently shut and his lip curled up into a subtle U-shape. Gorgeous.

Kit shrugs off his shirt that he accidentally slept in from last night, and to his delight it still has the distant scent of the salty beach air. To him it smells of home. Or at least, the most home he could possibly get.

He's never really known what home feels like. He's heard descriptions of it from other people and in books. Home is with the people you loved, where you feel the most comfortable, where you can be the most you.

And to Kit, the Los Angeles Institute fits the description the best. Or more specificity, the Los Angeles Institute with Ty.

With a sigh, Kit decides to change into clean clothes and leave Ty in peace whilst he goes downstairs to find them some breakfast. He always loves it when he can treat Ty and make him feel special. And even if he doesn't get a reaction, he knows Ty enjoys it too.

Down in the kitchen, Kit finds Octavian sat on a stool by the island, watching intensely as Helen and Aline make breakfast in front of him. And from the glistening in his eyes and the big smile that takes up half his face, Kit can tell it's entertaining.

"There's so many ingredients, how do you remember all of them?" Helen runs a hand through her hair which is pulled back into a messy bun, only to realise she had forgotten about the flour that was in her hand before she'd touched her head and groans at her stupidity. 

Aline giggles when Helen tries to shake the flour out and ends up with a cloud of white dust above her head. "Lots of practice. Now be a dear and measure out the milk."

Tavvy just claps his hands excitedly as Helen sighs, defeated, and takes the liquid measuring cup. "You're having way too much fun with this, aren't you?" She cracks a cheeky smile at him, and he smirks and looks away.

"Good morning, Kit," Aline says from where she's standing at the stove flipping pancakes. Kit's surprised she noticed him creeping down and eyes widen from where he's stood at the bottom of the stairs (seemingly invisible except to Aline apparently). He just waves meekly before taking a seat next to Tavvy. Kit still isn't too comfortable around any of Ty's siblings, save for Julian, as he does still feel like a sort-of outsider. They all grew up with each other, they'd all been through a lot together in the Dark War, and even though they'd been very welcoming to Kit and happy that Ty had made such a good friend, Kit can't help but notice a slight change in their vibe whenever he enters a room.

Helen pours the milk into the bowl of fresh batter. "You just missed a pretty epic five-second food fight. Unfortunately only a few remains can still be seen," she gestures with a batter-covered whisk to the floor where Kit finds a raw egg yolk seeping across the tile. 

"We both agreed the last person down here would clean it up," Aline shrugs as she sets two warm pancakes on an already-full platter next to the stove, then carries it to place in front of Tavvy and Kit, who both instantly dive in and grab a handful.

"Hold on there you two, save some for the rest of us," she laughs and grabs a pancake for herself and takes a bite, her eyes rolling back at the heavenly taste.

And Kit agrees; Aline must be a secret pancake-god or something. He can't seem to get enough of them.

Soon enough he's eaten five or six, and by then Mark and Dru have both made their way downstairs, crusty-eyed and still shaking off remnants of her dreams from last night. But as soon as they both catch a whiff of the godlike scents that waft through the kitchen, they look much more alert and almost race to the counter. 

Julian and Emma slowly make their way over as well, and soon Aline and Helen are rushing to make more pancakes to accommodate everyone who hasn't even woken up yet.

"We're lucky we bought more ingredients," Helen laughs, reaching into the refrigerator to grab more eggs, starting up the standing mixer. 

"I told you there were two many people in this Institute to just make one batch," Aline rolls her eyes at her wife, who it's sticks her tongue out in retort.

Everyone laughs at their banter, and Kit soon realises he's laughing along too. Maybe he was acclimating to this atmosphere. He spent a majority of his life pretty much alone, so jumping from that to a house filled with people and noise caught him off guard.

He can't even begin to imagine how Ty must feel about all of it. 

As he's taking a bite into his 7th or 8th pancake (he lost count) though, he feels a tap on his shoulder.

"Watson," a familiar voice whispers in his ear. "I need your help."

Speaking of the angel.

Mouth full of the greatest pancake he's ever eaten, Kit swivels around on the stool so he's facing Ty, who's gray eyes are wide with anxiety. His fingers play with the cord of his headphones which are situated on his head.

Ty didn't wear his headphones yesterday when they went out, Kit thinks to himself.

Instead of asking about that though, he swallows the syrupy goodness, "What's wrong?"

Ty's eyes sparkle with anticipation, although the rest of his serious expression doesn't change. "We've got a mystery on our hands."

Kit chuckles at the other boy's enthusiasm and tries to brush his hands off before following Ty back upstairs. He can feel Julian's sea green eyes on them as they leave, but he doesn't really mind. If Julian and Emma can leave whenever they want without warning, Ty and Kit can too.

Ty takes Kits hand, oblivious to the stickiness from the syrup, and drags him back to his bedroom before shutting the door with a tight snap. "I can't find my other sock," he says, crossing his arms. 

"That's what you're so worried about?" Kit's anxious expression softens to one more carefree. "It's fine, we can just go out later and find it, you probably just left it by the bush or something..."

"No but I remember having it when we came back though," Ty winds the cord around his pointer finger, then unwinds it again, looking around his room. "I looked everywhere. Twice."

"It's okay, not every sock needs a match," Kit sits on the edge of Ty's bed and it creaks under the new weight added.

"But all of mine do, what am I supposed to do with one lonely sock?" Ty's eyebrows knit together in distress.

"There's no need to get worked up over this," Kit pats the space beside him for Ty to sit. "We can just set it on your dresser until we find the other."

Ty sits next to him, winding and unwinding the headphones cord. "And what if we don't find it?"

Kit closes his hands around Ty's comfortingly, feeling them twitch under his touch. "Not every sock needs a match." He says again and brings Ty's knuckles to his lips, which in turn leaves a blotch of light pink on each of Ty's cheeks. 

"Am I your match?" Ty whispers, pressing their foreheads together. 

Kit can hear the faint sound of a classical symphony playing through Ty's headphone speakers, and he closes his eyes. "As long as I'm yours."

"You're definitely mine," Ty exhales through his nose, letting his hands drop to his lap before his lips brush over Kit's.

They've kissed before, most times it being evoked by Ty when he needs the affection because Kit can never tell when it's okay. They've only ever shared this display of their fondness for each other in Ty's room with the door locked as it makes both of them uncomfortable to do it anywhere else, where Ty's siblings can always be lurking. But despite of all that, they are very practiced and have gotten better as they've gained experience, but this time it's different to Kit. Ty has always been one to cut right to the chase,  
no teasing. When he wants it he just goes for it, no questions asked. 

He admires Ty so much for that, for just saying what's on his mind with no hesitation, and having the courage to ask the questions that people secretly want answered. He doesn't care what other people think of him, he only cares about the answers. Or lack of an answer, if it comes to that. And if it does, Ty will work tirelessly until he comes to a conclusion he can live with. 

He tastes like a mix of morning breath and mint toothpaste, and Kit can't get enough of it. So he lets go of his grip around Ty's hands to wrap them around his waist, pulling himself closer. Ty just sits still, hands neatly in his lap. But he doesn't pull away either. It's slow and passionate, he's never had Ty be this intimate with him before.

It all ends too soon though, for what feels like only a second later, a voice is yelling up the stairs:

"Ty, get down here if you're hungry we only have so much left!” Julian leans over the banister to call up to them, and at the sound of his brother's voice, Ty is pulling away with a bashful look on his face.

The raven-haired boy sighs, slightly aggravated with himself. "We've been up here too long, they're suspicious now," He says with a frown, and his hands move back to play with the cord of his headphones.

"It's not like they can't guess what we're up to," Kit shrugs, his hands still around Ty's waist. He doesn't want to let go, not yet. Ty's skin is so warm around his fingertips, he wishes they could stay like this forever.

Ty scratches his head, looking down at his lap helplessly. "I don't want them to ask though. What would I say?"

"Well you're Sherlock, aren't you?" Kit smiles. "You'll figure it out."

**Author's Note:**

> come and say hi on tumblr! @emu118


End file.
